About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
About REALLY Sidetracked - Menangle Park Racecourse Station Station
Note: If the gates to the south under the bridge are locked, access is by parking at the station and walking across the tracks. Please let me know if this is not correct.
You are looking at the station which was opened on 14 May 1914. The station platform was well constructed as can be seen and is over 400 metres in length.
It was a branch of the main southern line. In 1914 Menangle Park Racecourse was requisitioned as an army camp for the Australian Light Horse. The establishment of the camp was the result of drunken unrest among the troops at the Casula and Liverpool military camps in February 1916 that was later called the Battle of Central Station. These events also contributed to the success of the campaign for 6pm closing in New South Wales that was not repealed until 1955. (I. Willis Uni Wollongong)
In World War II the racecourse was again taken over by the military including a RAAF base Menangle Park Paceway opened in 1953 with a major reconstruction in 2008 making it the premier harness racing track in NSW.
The Racecourse Station closed in February 1953. Little is documented about the station but it remains as an interesting part of our railway history.
Picture: The old entrance to the racecourse can been seen behind this north looking view of the platform. (8-Sep-2002)[Copyright: Nathan Johnston]
The cache is not too hard to find and you do not have to venture into the scrub at the base. It is not too deep so you are unlikely to draw blood.
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